Profound in a Superficial Disguise
by exoticeyes
Summary: Profound: originating in or penetrating to the depths of one's being. Superficial: being at, on, or near the surface. People aren't always what they seem.
1. Chapter 1

**Profound in a Superficial Disguise**

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Prologue

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"Sakura-chan's very smart!"

"Yeah, she's the smartest one in our class!"

"And she takes classes at the university _and_ she's only a high school student."

Yeah, you could say that I'm smart. Though, I'd prefer a different word that defined me as smart. Maybe intelligent or knowledgeable? Or perhaps, I really am 'smart'? Perhaps I'm just in a case of self-denial? Maybe I don't want to be classified as smart because of its multiple meanings?

_Smart:_

_1. (verb) to cause a sharp pain to or in._

_2. (adjective) having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability._

_3. (noun) a sharp local pain, usually superficial, as from a wound, blow or sting; keen mental suffering, as from wounded feelings, affliction, grievous loss, etc._

Welcome to my smart life. My name is Haruno Sakura, aka: the Smart Girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**Profound in a Superficial Disguise**

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1

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I've never understood the excitement of high school. Where's this so called rush? Maybe it's just the explosion of hormones being released during these teenage years? Maybe it's the thrill of sex and lust and the fact that it's illegal for us teenagers to be drinking and doing drugs? Or maybe it's the social hierarchy in school systems? You know, like the food chain? We're all competing to be at the top of the pyramid. No one wants to be someone's food; no one wants to be eaten by others; no one wants to be the loser, dead-last, or even called a 'nobody'. People want to have things and maybe that's why we're all striving for the top, trying to be the best, trying to be number one?

However, I am pretty sure that there are some who just don't give a shit about this race to the top. I think there are some that just want to get high school done and over with. They don't give a crap about the homecoming queen or that super hot basketball player or that pretty girl in the cooking class. Maybe all they care about is getting their real life started. One of my university professors once said, "Think of high school as preschool. College is the real deal."

Enough of my internal rants now.

I think Asuma-sensei just called on me. I look at him and point at myself. He nods, looking exhausted. There's dark rings under his eyes, probably due to sleep deprivation. After all, he does have a child now and I bet that infant is keeping him and Kurenai-sensei up all night. Kurenai is his wife and currently, she's on a maternity leave so someone's subbing the floral design class for this rest of this semester.

I pull on an apologetic look and say, "Sorry, sensei, what did you ask me?"

Several girls sitting behind me snicker and someone says, "Oh, well, it looks like even Robot Sakura daydreams in class, too!"

There's even a filter system in the 'smart' class. I'm on the bottom, from what others like to say. Classification is alive and well today.

I keep my eyes on Asuma who rubs his face with a hand tiredly. Meanwhile, my fellow neighbor sitting directly south of me adds, "Who cares, as long as she's not thinking anything about my Sasuke-kun, then it's okay. If she is, then she and her billboard of a forehead can go to hell; no one gets my Sasuke." Her real message? Sasuke is mine and I'm an over-possessive girlfriend who'll do anything to anyone to keep it that way. Well, you can check that on your bucket list, Ms. Snooty Pig.

I turn around, settling back into my preppy high school girl role, to look at Ino and flip my long pink locks. I bat my eyelashes at her and remark, "It looks like I'm not going to hell then, so you can take your words back and shove it up that gigantic mouth of yours, Pig. Oh and maybe you should plant an apple in your mouth the next time you surrender yourself to him as food; I'm sure he'll be famished to eat you up. Pigs look and sound better once they have an apple shutting their trap."

She glares at me. I shrug and tell her that it's just a friendly suggestion(a total understatement). Asuma shakes his head at me and opens his mouth to say something, but the bell rings. My classmates clap their hands happily, all of them shuffling out the door. Ino, stops next to my desk, and replies, "Thanks, Sakura, but I think I'll just stick with my red lipstick. It stays better on his skin." She smirks and leads her group of girls out.

"Yeah, I totally get what you mean, Ino. Your smudged, red lipstick will be like that hickey on the back of your neck. Way to show his affections publicly," I retort as I stand up and sling one of the straps of my backpack over my shoulder.

Standing by the door now, she whirls around to glare at me and consciously tugs at her blond high ponytail; she lets her hair loose, trying to hide the mark now. I've seen better death glares than this. She breathes in loudly, her hands shaking at her sides. Her friends whisper to her, probably sugarcoating their comments to soothe her. She exhales and stomps out of the classroom with a "Whatever, loser." Total drama queen.

Once the room is empty, I walk over to Asuma's desk and he simply stares at me before shaking his head. I lean against the wall and kick a desk with my sneakers. He tells me to pick up the desk and set it right again. I do that and hop on top of the desk, kicking my feet in the air to relieve my anger. That's the best I can do for now, imagining that I'm kicking Ino's face.

"What is going on with you, Sakura?" He asks, slumping into his chair. It looks a lot more comfier than the desk I'm sitting on. I bet there's probably gum under this desk.

"Nothing," I say. He lifts a brow and I sigh before continuing. "Okay, maybe I did snap in class today and maybe, I wasn't paying attention to you. And maybe I didn't hear what you asked me and maybe I should've threw my history book at the girl."

He stares at me with a disapproving look.

I laugh nervously and say, "And maybe I'm just kidding about the last part."

"There's no maybe, Sakura. Why aren't you paying attention in class?" he asks.

I look around the room, thinking. I can't tell him that I'm busy attending mafia meetings, taking on missions at night and spying on major, important people. I can't tell him that I'm stressing about my current mission. No, I can't tell him anything of my other life.

"Okay, okay. I'm just stressed with school work. I mean, these three university classes that I'm taking are strenuous. Then, I have to do homework for my classes here. It's just really tiring. School, school, school. It's always school." I look at him and throw my hands up to stress my point.

He nods and says, "I understand your point. Just stay out of trouble and try to not argue so much with Ino. She's not a bad girl. She just has a lot of problems going on." Like I don't?

"Yeah, like what color to paint her toe nails?" I mutter. He sighs. I sneak a look at my watch and tell him that I have to catch the bus or else I'll be late for class.

"You're a smart girl, Sakura. I believe in you. You're going to do something great one day."

I put my hand on the doorknob and turn around to look at him. He smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up. He's probably been spending too much time with Guy again. That man and his blinding green spandex! I shake my head to myself and leave the room, smiling. It's nice to have someone believe in you. I'm just not sure if I'll be doing anything great soon. The future is unpredictable.

* * *

"Damn bus!" I mutter. I glance at my watch. I totally did not think that I'd miss the early route!

I kick the metal pole and look up at the bus sign as it shakes. I'd like to tear that sign off and throw it into the air like a frisbee. I kick the pole again and again and the third time I do, a person says, "How long are you going to do that, yeah?"

I turn around to look at the person and my stare hardens into a glare. This person looks like Ino. He's got a blond bang that covers his blue eyes and he's got the same skin tone like her. I narrow my eyes in suspicion, trying to find the difference between him and her.

"What are you look at, yeah?"

His blue eyes widen with rising anger. I stare at him intently. He definitely doesn't speak like her.

"Just wondering if I should punch you in the face or not."

"Why the hell would you do that, yeah? I don't even know you, yeah!" He steps away from me. I nod and kick the pole one last time before dropping onto the bench. I kick my feet in the air and the bottom of my sneakers scrape the concrete.

"What's the matter with you, yeah?" Said guy sits next to me, clutching his backpack against his chest. He stares at me with curiosity and cautiousness like I'm some sort of killer on the loose. I could be one day?

"Nothing's wrong with me, _yeah_, so go away." I shoot back and smack my feet against the ground. My feet makes a smacking sound each time it hits the floor. I count the rhythm, left, right, left, right. All I hear is smack, smack, smack; what I'm thinking about it kicking the pole again.

"Don't mock me and my speech habits, yeah! Pink-haired brat, yeah." He faces forward and looks at the street. Cars pass by. Birds tweet in the air. Passersby stare at us. I whip out a sandwich and munch on it angrily.

"You're right, I'm having a shitty day." I turn my head sideways, getting a better look at him. He stares at me and nods, playing with the zipper on his bag.

"I know what you mean, yeah; we all have those days, yeah. But today is a good day for me, yeah." He smiles and looks at the birds flapping by. I watch the way he stares at the birds, looking all intrigued and stuff like that.

"Do you have a bird fetish?" I ask. He scowls at me.

"No. I take interest in birds for their beauty, yeah. I want to fly like that and experience freedom."

"You're an artist?" I say, setting down my sandwich.

He shakes his head, but his eyes glint with excitement. "You're close, yeah. I'm a sculptor, yeah."

"You're still in the artist category," I add. He shrugs and says that he likes being called a sculptor.

"What are you, yeah?" he asks. I smile.

"I'm anything I want to be." He arches his brows and I sigh. "Alright, I'm a high school student."

"Aren't you supposed to be in school, yeah?" He watches me with more caution now, like I'm a wanted criminal.

"If I was taking all of my classes there, yes, but I'm not. I take three classes there and three at the university," I explain. I bite into my sandwich and glance at my watch. It's 1:10 right now. Class started ten minutes ago and I'm late.

"Why is that, yeah? And which schools do you go to, yeah?"

"Konoha Private High and Konoha University. The high school doesn't offer all the classes that I'd like to take, but they do have a program at the university that allows us to take a few classes at the university," I explain. I look at him more closely now; he's young, probably in his early twenties.

"I'm guessing you're a college student? Where do you go?" I ask.

He grins mischievously and says, "The same one you go to, yeah. What are your classes, yeah? I bet you don't even have friends, yeah?"

"You guessed right. I'm taking a basic class in film, art history, and a writing course. Nothing too hard." I look away from him because he looks at me intently. I hope that I haven't given myself away. He nods and grins. I wonder why he grins at me.

"Funny, I'm taking art history, yeah. I just transferred into the class, been stuck on the damn waiting list, yeah." For some reason, I find myself smiling back at him. Maybe we can be friends? I've never really befriended a college student because of that grade gap.

"Let me guess, you're running late too?" I ask. He nods, still grinning. I sit back, feeling more comfortable around him now. He says that the professor is pretty laid back, just not on the first couple days of the semester. I tell him that it's already second semester and he just nods, saying that art is his field.

My cell phone unexpectedly rings and I quickly answer.

"Hi, dad."

"Sakura. There's a meeting tonight at five. Don't be late."

"No problem. I'll be there on time." He hangs up and I stuff my phone into the pocket of my jeans. I look out at the street and watch the cars pass by, making gusts of wind. I sigh and shut my eyes. I don't want to think about tonight.

"Um, you okay, yeah?" he asks. I don't respond. He calls out, "You alive, pink-haired girl?"

"My name's Sakura and yes, I'm okay. Thanks for the concern though."

He grins and sticks out his hand, saying, "I'm Deidara and I'm a sculptor. Art is an explosion." I open my eyes, taking his hand as I shake it. I tell him that he's being redundant and he shrugs. The bus comes and we file in.

I peer out the window and Deidara says, "You seem distracted now, yeah."

I look at him; he's holding a hanging handle with his body positioned towards me. I look back out the window and mutter quietly, "It's just my dad. He wants me home for dinner on time."

"Oh, you don't get along with him, yeah?"

The bus takes a turn; Deidara leans towards me and I feel his chest brushing against my left shoulder. He puts some distance between us even though it's small. I shrug, thinking of what to say. Something to make my life feel normal.

"We get along. It's just his new wife."

"Your step-mom, yeah?"

I look at Deidara and nod, looking away now. We stay quiet for the rest of the ride. My dad works for the mafia and it's like he's married to the organization. He always talks about it, informing me of what's going on. He's the reason why I'm involved. I don't think there's any way to back out now; I've been in for too long and if I were to get out, I'd be shot in the forehead or maybe in the heart.

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A/N: Review :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Profound in a Superficial Disguise**

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** 2**

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By the time I'm finished with my classes, it's already four thirty. I run across the campus and hail a taxi. I have thirty minutes to get to the secret location. I get in the taxi and tell the driver my location. The leader of this organization doesn't like tardiness. In fact, he shot some guy in the arm for being late one time. I definitely don't want that happening to me.

As the taxi turns here and there, I prepare myself mentally. Be calm, be collected, be confident, be serious. Be cold-hearted and be cold-blooded. If I don't, then I have no chance of surviving in their place. I inhale slowly, chanting 'I will not be afraid' over and over again. The car stops and I open my eyes. This is the new meeting place, definitely not the headquarters. I've been to the headquarters once and that was when I first joined. I was blindfolded so that I couldn't memorize the way there. It's not like I would ever go there willingly anyways.

I enter the large building. It looks like an important company's building, but I know better than that. The exterior is meant to give off that impression. The automatic doors slide open, sensing my presence. I enter and a secretary by the desk smiles at me. They even make the inside look harmless, implementing daily technology and employing seemingly normal people. Though, everyone who works here knows what truly goes on. They know that they're working for the mafia.

"Good evening, Sakura-san."

I walk closer to the secretary who now opens a binder and flips a few pages. I sneak a subtle look at the three-hole punched paper in the binder and spot my smiling face in one of the columns of pictures. Underneath my picture is my name and age and rank. I quickly avert my eyes onto the flat screen t.v. behind the lady. The gadget hangs on the wall, sporting news events in Konoha. I find it ironic how they show news, but are the mastermind of some of the problems that happen in our city. It's like they're showcasing their products.

"Ah, I was right after all." The woman looks up at me and smiles. She comes off as a hard-working and charming woman, but there's something about her calculating stare that makes me wary. I have to always be careful around these people or people in general, I suppose.

"About what?" I ask, kind of curious. For the most part, I'm just trying to make a light conversation with this woman. She shakes her head, making an embarrassed expression. She looks older than me, but definitely doesn't act older than me. I spot her name tag that says 'Nami'.

"I was just recently hired so I've been trying to get to know people's names these past couple weeks. I'm so happy that I got your name right!" She giggles like a naive kid. I remain expressionless and nod. She hands me a card, telling me that all I have to do is swipe the card and the door will open. She, then, looks at me and makes an embarrassed face again.

"I'm sorry, you must be really familiar with these processes." She bites her lip, looking like a scolded child.

"There's nothing wrong with refreshing your memory from time to time," I say. I wave goodbye and head over to the elevator. That woman is one weird employee. I don't even want to know if she acts like that outside of work. Right when the elevator's about to close, a person shouts, "Wait! Wait!" A hand sticks in the middle of the about-to close doors of the elevator and the doors repel away from each other. A girl stands across from me and quickly enters. She has the same card I have in her hand. She waits for the door to shut and the elevator to lift us up before speaking.

She stares at me curiously. "I'm Megumi; I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

"I'm Sakura. I've been on a long term mission so I don't attend the meetings that often." I look at her, analyzing her. She's dressed in a school uniform that I recognize as one of the middle school's uniform. She wears glasses and has short brown hair. It's kind of curly, but more wavy. She constantly presses her glasses to keep them from sliding off her nose and exclaims, "You mean, you're _the_ Sakura who was scouted? The one who placed rank one on everyone of her test when she was in Ai Academy?"

I laugh a little bit at the sound of the old academy I attended. It's a ridiculous name and love is definitely not advocated there. It's a competition of survival. It's a filter system for the mafia to choose the best- the ones who are smart, physically-inclined, and capable of deceiving.

"Saying that I passed _all_ of my tests is an overstatement. I just passed the written and oral exams; I wasn't extremely well when it came to the physical tests." I hated the combat classes. It was terrible. I got bruises a lot. Thankfully, I didn't break my bones often.

"Yeah, neither was I, but I heard that you're a good fighter now."

"Really?" I ask. People talk about me here? I lean against the wall, fishing for info now. I look at her and say, "Like who?"

"Like the new secretary, Nami. She talks about you a lot. Do you guys know each other?" Megumi looks at me. Her stare is so pure and untainted. Has she even been on a real mission?

"Nami? This is the first time I met her. I'm surprised now."

"Me too. She has photographic memory, did you know that? It doesn't take long for her to memorize people's faces and names. I guess, that's why the boss put her in the front as the secretary." Megumi murmurs this to herself, forgetting that I'm here as well. The boss is smart for putting a photographic person in the front. Any intruder would remain in Nami's good memories, unless they killed her. The elevator stops, making a 'ding' sound.

Megumi walks beside me. I can feel her stare and so I ask her what she does for the mafia. She smiles, acting like I'm such a legend, and tells me that she's a hacker. It fits her though; I can already imagine her eyes going dull as she scans the screens like a robot and her eyes probably widen in excitement once she discovers something major.

We slide our cards and enter; I spot my dad sitting a couple seats away from the boss. I glance at my watch. Ten minutes until the meeting starts. Several people hurry into the room. Megumi and I stick to the wall, staying in the back. I try to stay as far as I can from the front of the room. I hate these meetings, despite the fact that the last one I went to was one and a half years ago.

The boss stands up and runs a hand through his orange hair. He's got a few piercings on his ears, some on his face. I swallow, feeling the atmosphere heavy and damp on me. The room feels too cramped and I squeeze my arm once before shoving my hands into the pockets of my jean. I go for a casual look, trying to look calm and collected. It works because Megumi asks me how I can be so cool about this. She looks scared and frantic. I tell her to relax in a hushed voice. In reality, it took me years of practice to pull off these looks and hide my emotions.

"Welcome my dear friends. My name is Pein and I am pleased to have you all here tonight. We are moving onto the next stage of our project. I've had several of my trustworthy friends contact our indebted customers. Some of them have chosen to comply; some have not. I call this stage: Reconstruction. As you all know, most of our customers are major corporations and companies of Konoha. We will be eliminating these indebted businesses until they either join us in our cause or until they are completely demolished." Pein pauses to gauge our reactions. His eyes linger on me for a few seconds and darts away from me. People talk softly amongst themselves. Megumi just stares around with her mouth in the shape of a little oval. Has she never been to a meeting?

"Continuing from what I was saying," Pein interrupts, gaining everyone's attention now. He looks up at the ceiling that's painted with dark clouds. When his father was still in power, he had the ceiling painted this way. It's interesting; I wonder why his dad wanted dark clouds. He could have just left the ceiling blank.

"These packages that are specifically being distributed to you contain your mission for this stage. Continue doing so until you have been given a new mission. You can leave once you have received your package." Several people in white vests come around, giving people their packages. They've most likely familiarized themselves with all the people in the rooms beforehand; this explains why they can simply look around the room, spot the person and give them their respective packages. A guy walks toward Megumi and gives her a black package. She smiles at me and leaves with a bunch of other people. I scoot out of their way, pressing myself into an isolated corner. The room quickly empties and all that's left is Pein, the people in their white vests, and me.

I walk over to him and he tells the people to leave the room. After they all leave, he pulls out a black package and says, "I needed to personally tell you something about your mission, Sakura." He sits down and I remain standing. He points at the chair and I set my backpack down on the table before I sit.

He pushes the concealed package towards me midway and stops. His eyes darken, growing serious like his voice. "Your mission for this stage will be connected to your current mission, consider it as some more information. As of right now, you are playing the role of a wealthy schoolgirl, daughter of a wealthy company. You are keeping an eye out for any movements that could jeopardize our plans."

He stares at me intently and I nod. This Pein isn't like the one I went to Ai Academy with; this Pein is somber, darker, and more reserved.

"I've been doing some research on my own time and I have found a source that jeopardizes us. They are a threat to our plans. Have you heard of the Akatsuki?"

"Never heard of it. Though, there have been rumors about some new organization that's against us."

"I believe that rumor is about the Akatsuki. I have no idea how many members are in this organization, but I'm positive that it's not a small amount. They're teaming up with the police force of Konoha; they might go even further than that," Pein explains.

I lean back in my chair, positioning myself towards him. He's still got the same orange hair, but more piercings. It's obvious that he still trains. His biceps are flexing. He's tense and worried about this situation, this new group that poses as a threat to us. Or maybe he's worried that the people don't see him as a leader and that he's weak-willed and not strong like an iron fist?

"And how does that relate to me, Pein?" I say.

"The reason why my father had you take classes at the high school and the university was so that you could keep an eye on the students. The younger generations are more likely to bring about a revolution is what my dad believed. You, being able to blend with both high school and college students, are the perfect candidate for this mission."

"I still don't see how this relates to me," I state. I cross my arms.

"I am getting to that point, Sakura." His lips clamp together, his brows scrunch towards each other. He's irritated and I'm fed up.

"Anyways, I'm speculating that these members of the Akatsuki are college students who obviously live in Konoha. How else would they know what we've been doing? And, some of them must come from well-off financial backgrounds. How else would they know about the financial issues these major companies are facing. Those companies will soon be theirs and that is why these heirs are probably forming the Akatsuki; they want to protect their inheritance, Sakura."

"So basically, you're saying that since I attend both schools, which most of the rich students attend, I am in the perfect condition to find who's in this Akatsuki organization? Because these rich students are heirs to the major companies and they define us as a threat. Okay. How am I supposed to go about this?" I ask.

"Some of the people in this room earlier were given missions that will intersect with your mission. Chaos brings out people's true thoughts and intents, Sakura."

"What's going to happen?" I ask. I have a strong, gut feeling that something is going to happen- something bad, something monstrous.

"You'll know when it happens. We're going to show these people that we mean business. Once we say something, we mean it and of course, we're going to do it. You're dismissed, Sakura." Pein gets up and walks away from me. He looks at me one last time as he stands by the door and leaves.

* * *

Not wanting to take the elevator, I take the stairs. With each step I take, a question forms in my head. What did Pein mean? How am I going to know who's in the Akatsuki? What is Pein up to? Just what is the Akatsuki and what do they want with us? I mean, it looks like they want to bring us down. A part of me is fine with it. If this mafia goes down, I'm free to go. I can escape without forcing my way out. I can finally be free of doing dirty work. A part of me is worried. Pein's the leader and if they want to bring us down, they'll aim for him first; no matter how distant he's become, I can't let him walk straight to his death. He helped me during our Academy days and now, it's my turn to watch his back.

After a while, I finally reach the first floor. I spot Nami peering at her manicured nails. I'll definitely keep this woman under my eye. She's suspicious. How can she talk so much about me and not know me? Or maybe Megumi lied, but she doesn't seem like she'd lie about that.

As I walk closer to her, she beams at me. She waves at me and asks me how the meeting went and what's in the package. I arch a brow at her and say, "You can stop pretending to be dumb, Nami. I know that you've got an excellent memory, photographic even. And I'm sure you understand that all meetings are kept confidential, especially concealed packages."

She laughs gleefully and leans back against her high chair. She claps her hand once and leans forward, staring at me with her big blue eyes. Her hair is black and long, tied into a ponytail. Her blouse is fully buttoned to the top. She seems like a professional secretary.

"Ah, you caught me, Sakura-san. Pein was right, I guess. You do have a quick eye. I'd love to see you during a mission." She winks at me and sits back. Pein talked to her about me? I'm not sure if she's trying to play me for a fool, but I decide to wish her a goodnight as I leave. There's no point in getting distracted. I have a mission to accomplish.

Right as I step outside the building, my phone rings. I answer it warily, not knowing the number.

"Hello, this is Sakura speaking."

"Sakura? Good, this is Pein."

"Oh. Is something wrong?"

"You've been removed from the mission tonight."

"What? Why?"

"You need to process things; read the package tonight and formulate a plan. This mission is trivial compared to your new one. We found another person to do the mission tonight."

I pull the phone away from me slightly, exhaling a soft breath of relief. "Um, okay, then. If that's what you want."

"Yes, Sakura. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I grip my phone, wondering what the mission for tonight was. If I was still doing the mission, I would have to go to the mission store where Pein, or whoever the leader is at the time, explains to you your mission. The room is secured with watch guards and soundproof walls. There are no windows at all.

As I walk away from the main building and past other buildings, a boy and some of his friends are talking. I think they try to be discreet, but their excitement makes them a bit loud. I put my phone to my ear, acting like I'm too busy talking to hear them, and continue to walk by.

"Damn, Takuma, you're so lucky you got a real mission. I wish I got one too!"

"Tch, you better not screw up, dumbass."

"I can't believe Pein-sama wants me to shoot Uchiha Shisui..."

I speed away from these boys, not wanting to hear anymore. Even though I'm not the one doing the mission tonight, I feel guilty; I feel tainted with bloodshed. I feel at fault because I know and I'm not doing anything to stop it. I'm afraid for my safety. I want to live. I want to live. I don't want to die. Really, I don't.

The further I walk away from these boys, who are probably fresh from the academy, the more confused I am. Why is Pein targeting Uchiha Shisui of all people? He's second to the head chief. Then, it dawns upon me. Pein wants to make the police force feel threatened. He wants them to not help the Akatsuki. He wants to isolate the Akatsuki, keep them vulnerable and alone. He wants to use Uchiha Shisui as an example for his message: this is what happened to the one second to your chief. Your chief could experience even worse.

* * *

I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. I'm waiting, waiting for them to discover what I did. No one comes, no one has appeared at my house and asked for me. No one.

I hear my dad's footsteps rush to my door and he knocks rapidly. I make a groggy voice and tell him to enter. He bursts into my room, saying, "Uchiha Shisui isn't dead! Pein just called me and informed that someone altered the plan."

I've practiced this scene in my head so many times. My dad watching the news late at night, waiting for something like this to pop up. Instead, he finds that Shisui is alive and injured but not dead. I wonder what Pein would say, what he'd do if he found out what I did. How he'd react if he found out that I was the one who altered the plan.

I sit up like I just got shocked, throwing off my covers. I stumble around in the dark and follow my dad to the living room. We go down hallway and turn left. I spot the light from the TV, shining in the dark room. I tell my dad to not watch in the dark; it's bad for the eyes. He grunts and waves at the TV. Who cares about my eyes, what's more important is the mafia's failure! Gee, dad.

An anchor woman says, "Uchiha Shisui, second to the chief police of Konoha, was escorted to the hospital several hours ago. He was shot in the arm while walking out into the parking lot after a long day of work. Later, a fellow policemen found the initials 'YN' carved into the hood of his car. This is it; the mafia organization, called YN, has made its move. Why are they targeting the police force? This is Leaf News broadcasting live and I am…"

I look away from the screen. My heart's pounding is all that I can hear. I breathe in and breathe out silently. I have to remain in control; I can't let my dad know what I did. He's a part of Pein's council. He'd probably sell me out if I told him what I did.

"Dad, what's going on?" I ask. I already know what's gone wrong. He shakes his head and says that the world's going crazy. People are fighting to maintain power. It's crazy, but believable.

I dare to ask, "Did Pein find who altered the plan?" Of course, he hasn't. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here.

"No, he hasn't actually. Pein asked the boy who carried out the mission earlier and the kid said that someone, dressed all in black, bumped into him and shoved a note at him while he was on his way to the spot he'd shoot from. They're looking at the handwriting right now, trying to determine the gender. Pein thinks it's a male based from the penmanship. I'm going to get a look at it tomorrow morning."

"I'd like to see it," I murmur. My dad shakes his head and tells me to go to school.

"You've got to do your mission. Let us handle the alteration of the mission, Sakura. Everyone's got to do their part." He gives me a stern look and I pout a bit. When in reality, I feel so relieved.

"You think they'll check for fingerprints on the note, dad? Then, they could easily capture the person," I say. He shakes his head, telling me that they did that right away. There was no trace of fingerprints.

"Whoever wrote the note was smart enough to wear gloves. Nonetheless, at least, we've installed some fear into the police force now. That's all that matters. Maybe this was for the good."

I walk out the living room and say, "Maybe it was, dad. Who knows where the world's going to go now. Goodnight."

"Don't forget to make your lunch tomorrow morning. I'll leave some breakfast on the table tomorrow and don't leave it to rot! I don't care if you were in a rush and didn't have time to eat it, just _eat_ it. Never waste good food," he shouts. I nod and smile. I almost feel like a normal girl. Almost.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Review please...I know you're reading ((O)_(O))

_Quick Poll_:

1) who should come in the next chapter: Sasori or Itachi?

I love them both, but...it makes sense for Itachi to pop in now, eh?


	4. Chapter 4

**Profound in a Superficial Disguise**

* * *

**3**

* * *

"Oh my gosh, is Sasuke okay, Ino?"

"Yeah, is he okay, Ino?"

I'm sitting in my first class, listening to Ino's friends chatter to her about Sasuke's well-being. Well, at least the mafia's plan sort of worked. Shisui's ambush spread fast overnight. Now, people are just worrying over any Uchiha. Of course, with Sasuke being the only Uchiha at our school, everybody's talking about him. The thing is that _he_ wasn't the one attacked, Shisui was. Just let them fret, I suppose.

The girls continue to swarm around Ino and pester her with questions. I sneak a look at her, kind of feeling bad for her now. She looks so shaken up and scared and worried- well at least her eyes look like that. Her face is just blank. I wonder what she's thinking about; I suddenly remember what Asuma said yesterday. Maybe she isn't worried about trivial things? Maybe something serious really is going on?

Her lips move, but the girls don't hear her, probably because they're too busy chatting their butts off. Ino closes her blue eyes, looking angered. She slams her hands on her desk and stands up. The girls scramble back, looking surprised and confused. Everyone snaps. They act like Ino doesn't get mad at all.

"I don't know why Sasuke isn't here today, okay? Just leave me alone. I don't want to hear your questions," Ino spits out, her stare is hard. The girls mumble to themselves and the group quickly dissolves. Ino sits back down and stares at her desk, her head is tilting downwards. She strokes the tips of her blond hair and I turn around, resuming my inner thoughts.

Yamanaka Ino? She's the only daughter to the Yamanaka Company. I'm not really familiar with this company, but I'm sure that they're well known for cosmetics and something else. I search up the company on my phone and find that her dad has a branch that designs some of the weapons Konoha uses. I'm pretty sure that the Yamanaka Company is one of the indebted businesses now. I look at Ino through my hair. Something's definitely going on.

I lean back in my chair, trying to remember if there was any change in her attitude. The only time she changed her attitude from tolerable to bitchy was when she got together with Sasuke. Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke! He is from one of the main Uchiha Corporations. I'm positive that he's going to take over one of them in the future. But why would she become so bitchy and possessive?

The bell rings and Kakashi comes in. I sit up and try to clear my head of these thoughts. I'll think about it later.

* * *

As I'm walking to my second class, I spot Sasuke walking down the hallway with a blond guy, named Naruto. From what I know, these two guys have been friends since childhood. It makes sense though; they are from the elite of Konoha. I don't know what Naruto's parents do, but it's something high up there. I'll have to do some researching later.

"Sasuke, you're okay!" several girls shout.

"Ino's been so worried about you!"

He glances at them and looks back at Naruto; they resume talking in their low voices. The girls swoon at Sasuke as he walks away. Why did he miss his first period?

I enter my second class and quickly sit in my seat. Iruka's cleaning up some stuff on his desk. Ino comes in alone. She sits in her desk, located on the other side of the room from me. Sasuke enters with Naruto and they sit behind her. Hinata enters and makes her way to them, sitting next to Ino. They're in their usual seats, but something in the atmosphere doesn't feel right.

I get up to staple some of my papers, meaning that I'll be closer to Ino and them. As I walk over to Iruka's desk, I listen to their conversation. I know, eavesdropping is bad, but I got to do my mission. And besides, I need to know what's going on on both sides of the battle.

Ino asks in a harsh voice, "Where have you been, Sasuke!"

"Visiting Shisui." He quietly replies, monotone. Hm, so that's how her boyfriend sounds?

"What about me? You have no idea how scared I've been, Sasuke! You're supposed to be doing your jo-"

"Shut up! Do you want me to break up with you? You weren't the one who got shot, _Ino_." Sasuke has irritation laced in his tone, but there's this certain undertone in his voice. I wish that I was looking at him, so that I could read his face. What was Ino about to say?

I staple my papers and retreat to my desk. I'm back in my territory. Iruka teaches the class with full energy and everything; I look around the room, the students are all bored. Most of them look around the room, looking nervous. Is this a part of Pein's plan? Why are they so edgy? More importantly, what was Ino about to say?

"_You're supposed to be doing your jo-" _

What was that all about? She sounded like she was about to say 'job.' Job? Sasuke has a job? Job? Kami! It makes sense now. The Uchiha Corporation is involved with Konoha's government affairs; they're a part of the police force-criminal activity and the security of Konoha- and the business market. I bet Sasuke's training in the criminal field. Sasuke being Ino's boyfriend and she being his girlfriend! It's all fake. They're playing as lovers when in reality, he's probably her bodyguard or something like that. That explains why she's so possessive over him; if she loses him, she's vulnerable. Her protection's been stripped away from her. That's probably why she's gone from somewhat tolerable to bitchy. She wants to keep a distance from the chance of losing Sasuke to a girl who could actually be his girlfriend.

But what was with Sasuke's tone? Why would he tell her that he'd break up with her? I swallow. I've been caught, haven't I? Was I being too obvious? I don't think I was. He was speaking to her in code words, I know that for sure. What should I do now? Keep calm. Don't look at them, especially Sasuke. He's practically doing what I'm doing. He's a spy, but from the other side. He's good, I can sense it; he's good at what he does. That's why I haven't caught on yet.

I lean back in my chair. All this time, this has been happening. These heirs have been coming together, preparing for YN to attack and here I was, totally out of it. Pein was right. I look around the room, scanning my peers, making it look like I'm bored. How many guys and girls have gotten together, acting like a couple? There's not a lot of couples in my classroom; it's just Sasuke and Ino, Naruto and Hinata. How many are actually together, actually in love? How many people in the school are doing what Sasuke and Ino are doing. It's going to be difficult trying to distinguish who's doing what.

* * *

After third period, I walk to the bus stop and try to process all these new info simultaneously. I lean against the pole and stare at nothing. Okay, so they're forming pairs now. How's that going to save them?

My phone rings. I look at the numbers, it's Pein. I memorized his number last night.

"Sakura speaking."

"This is Pein. Where are you?"

"On my way to the university now. It's noon."

"Did you discover anything new?"

"No." I don't know why I said that. I mean, I'll tell him eventually; I just want to figure out some more stuff and try to get the whole picture before I report my findings to him.

"That's okay. The others will begin their missions soon."

"What do you mean?" My instincts tell me to turn around and look at the high school. I keep my body faced away from the school.

"Let's just say, you'll be safe now that you're not at the high school." He hangs up. I grip the pole.

The bus comes and I repeat my routine.

* * *

I wander around the university's campus. I can't believe I forgot that I didn't have any class today or tomorrow. I shut my eyes and drop onto the grass. My backpack lies on my stomach. What are the others doing? What's their missions and how does it intersect with mine?

I sit up, hearing ambulances. Shivers crawl up my sleeved arms. I scramble onto my feet, grab my backpack and run back to the bus station. I pace around for several seconds, impatient. I can't wait for the bus to come. It'll take too long. I hail a taxi and tell the driver to take me to Konoha Private High School. There's some traffic so the ride there is long. I look out the window. I'm not that far from school, just several blocks away. An ambulance drives by us. I tell the driver to drop me off at the sidewalk and then, I run to school. I twist my body to dodge pedestrians and bicycles. Why are the sidewalks so clustered today?

"Is that you Sakura, yeah?" Deidara shouts. I look to my left and spot him sitting in a sleek, black car. He sits in the passenger seat and waves a hand at me from inside. I don't stop running as I glance at him. I hold a hand up at him and dash away. He's stuck in traffic as well.

By the time, I arrive at school, the police force is already there. Medics usher injured students into the ambulances and I search for anyone I know from the mafia. No one, I find no trace of them. As I walk, I spot Asuma standing by the rails with his arms crossed. He's talking to Kakashi and Guy. I'd have to walk across the quad to get to him. I decide not to talk to him yet. He's probably busy and confused as hell.

I walk around the campus, some of the windows are shattered and most of them are from the classrooms located at the top of the buildings. This was what Pein intended? Shoot the heirs of these major companies and hopefully kill some? How many are dead? Injured?

I walk past an old building and someone yanks me behind it. I'm slammed up against a wall, not terribly hard but it still stings the back of my head. I glare at the person who cages me with his arms. His fists are on both sides of my head, trapping me in.

"Why hello, Uchiha Sasuke," I purr, settling into my schoolgirl role now. I bat my eyelashes and mumble something about how I should've worn makeup today. He stares at me with disdain and I want to punch him in the face or knee him in the stomach with all my might since we're so close.

"What do you want with me? Or should I say what do you want to _do_ to me?" I smoothly ask. I look at him through my lashes. He looks away, looking irked with my reactions. I smirk inwardly, at least I'll seem like an over-fanatic peer of his and not a suspicious person.

"You know what I want, _Sakura_." He stares at me. This is the first time we've talked since I transferred to this school. I inch closer to him and yank him closer to me by his collar. He pushes me back and I pout.

"Then, what do you want?" I ask, sounding like one of his whiny fan girls. I tilt my head and give him a sultry look. He remains unfazed, but his jaws are tense; it seems like he's gritting his teeth. What's he thinking about?

"Where were you when the school was attacked?"

"Are you suspecting me!" I cross my arms and fake an angry face. It's not that hard to do because I definitely wasn't the one shooting students. His accusation is quite clear which makes me offended. He thinks I did it. I'm involved in bad stuff, but I try avoiding homicidal cases like this.

"Well, you weren't here obviously. So, where were you?"

"I was at the university, going to class." I don't mention that I didn't have class today because he'd suspect me even more. He removes his arms from the wall and takes several steps back. He looks about ready to leave me.

"Why're you asking me this, Sasuke-_kun_? Are you some sort of secret agent in disguise?" I ask, then giggle as if I find it a cute idea. He shakes his head and calls me weird. I watch him leave and fully disappear from my sight before I sigh.

* * *

By the time I leave school, most of the people have already left. I spot Asuma leaning against his car. He's smoking, staring at nothing. He crosses his arms and holds an arm up as he lowers his mouth to the burning cigarette. He sees me and waves me over to him.

"How many people are injured?" I say, nearing him. He shakes his head, not sure.

"I'll find that out tomorrow; the hospital's doing its best to help the injured. I don't know why this happened. Why is YN attacking mere students?" Asuma demands, he slams a fist on his car door. I nod and look away, feeling guilty.

"I'd like to know that, too. Did any of the teachers get injured?" I ask. Kakashi and Guy were okay. Asuma is obviously okay, but I'm not sure about his mental state. Experiencing stuff like this can shock people and affect their mental conditions, some are scarred but continue on anyways.

"Sarutobi was shot."

I stare at the ground, watching Asuma's cigarette fall to the black cement. His shoe smothers the cigarette, crushing it completely with the tip of his shoes. His foot twists, left to right and right to left. He stomps the pieces once and kicks at the dust-like particles. The wind blows it away.

"How bad are his injuries, Asuma-sensei?" I grit my teeth and force myself to look at him. He's lighting another cigarette and I tell him that he shouldn't smoke in front of his child when he's at home. He says he doesn't. I tell him to not smoke at all and he says he's trying and that Kurenai tells him this all the time, too. I smile, unable to forget about Sarutobi getting injured though.

"How is he really doing, sensei?" I ask once more. He looks away from me, staring at the setting sun.

"You want to come with me? I'm going to visit him."

"I don't mind at all," I say. I feel responsible for what's happened to Sarutobi. He's my principal; he's a good man. I've talked to him so many times, a lot of times actually. Sometimes, I feel like he knows what I'm going through. It's like he knows that I work for the mafia.

I get in Asuma's car and begin to sulk. Why won't Asuma tell me how severe Sarutobi's injuries are? It's not bad, it's not. It can't be terrible. That man may be old, but he's strong. I know he is. No matter how badly injured he is, he'll live. I know, I just know because I believe in him.

Asuma flicks the radio on and off. I sigh and roll the window down and roll it back up. I don't want to hear the wind, don't want to feel anything. I just want to be alone, just want to have some time to myself. Asuma clears his throat, trying to get my attention. I look at him. Finally, finally, he's finally going to tell me what's wrong with Sarutobi!

"Sarutobi wanted to see you before he, well, before he dies," Asuma states. I turn my head to look at him; my hand twitches and I shake my head. A sense of disgust washes over me. He continues to drive, keeping his eyes on the road.

"What kind of a joke is this? I don't have time to deal with this!" I spit out. I glare out the window, watching the trees pass by. Asuma sighs, draws a hand to his face and sighs once more. I bite my lips. It's true, isn't it? Sarutobi's really going to die.

"I'm not joking, Sakura. It's best not to deny death. In the end, you'll only be hurting yourself," he states. I inhale sharply. Fucking Pein, he just had to aim for the head of the school; he just had to go for the man I love like a grandfather. And, he knew it! Fucking Pein! What kind of a friend does that?

I drop my head back against the seat and let out a distressed sound. I shake my head, realizing the truth now. Pein is not my friend. He's got his own agenda. I'm just a tool, always been one. I smile, tasting bitterness in my mouth. My mind is clouded with sadness, despair, desperation, anger, rage, and blood lust. This world is fucked up. It really is.

"We're at the hospital now. I'm going to drop you off here in the front and then, I'll go park the car. I'll meet you in a bit." I look at Asuma, feeling like an inconsiderate jerk now. He's the son of this man and he's got to put up with me. He must be facing more pain than I am. I give him my thanks and he tells me to hurry.

I rush into the office, run over to the medical assistant and ask where I can find Sarutobi Hiruzen. She tells me that visitors are not allowed any more and I slam my hand on the table, telling her my name and that he asked for me. She nods, calls someone and a few seconds later, she tells me to go to room 108. I run up the stairs. The elevators will only infuriate me more.

I walk down the hall, looking for room 108. I spot a group of people surrounding his room. Surprisingly, Deidara is here. He waves at me once and walks several steps towards me. I don't even notice him after that. I brush my way through people, keeping my eyes glued onto the number 108.

A nurse guides me into the room and shuts the door, leaving me in privacy with him. I can smell death lingering in this room. I shut my eyes to calm myself.

"Come over here, Sakura." His voice still sounds the same, gruffy and old with power underneath. I walk over to him and sit on a stool. He stares at me and smiles. I frown.

"What do you want, Sarutobi?"

"Now, now, Sakura-chan. Don't be like this. Don't be so cold to me; you're not distancing yourself from me by doing that. I can see the hurt and worry in your green eyes." He smiles at me. This is the grandfather I never had. He takes my hand and squeezes it.

"I haven't seen you for months. What have you been up to?"

I sigh and smile sadly back at him. He looks terrible, so pale and wan. He looks tired and extremely vulnerable. I shrug and reply, "Just the normal, going to school and doing schoolwork. Nothing new." A total lie.

"Really?" he muses out loud, looking at the ceiling now. He smiles and places his hands over his stomach. Is this how he's going to position himself before he dies? A smile and folded hands, like snow white? His stare shifts back to me and he continues, "I know what you're involved in, Sakura."

"What do you mean? I'm just a normal student, trying to graduate from high school."

"You work for YN."

My face must show the answer because he nods and says, "I've known for a long time. I always knew you were different from the students of Konoha Private. The way you carry yourself, the way you quickly change your personalities-you're no average student, Sakura."

"Did someone tell you?"

"No, but I knew your parents before they were involved with YN. Because of that, I knew you'd eventually be warped into the mafia. Your mother gave me something before she died," Sarutobi says. He gives me a key and I take it willingly.

"She was killed, Sakura. It wasn't some freak accident. She knew she was going to be assassinated," he adds. His stare softens, like he's about to cry. I look away from him, not wanting to cry either.

"I know, I always suspected that. No one believed me, except for my dad. We never found who it was though."

"She said I'd know when to give the key to you. I think I failed her. You probably needed it years ago."

I shake my head. "No, you didn't fail her. You never did. You've always been there for me."

"Call me grandpa, eh? Asuma's been taking forever to give me a grandchild."

"...Grandpa, I love you."

He stares at me, wraps his hands around mine and says, "I believe in you, Sakura. I know you'll do the right thing; you have the will of fire. You know, I still remember the first day I met you."

That was the first day I transferred to Konoha Private. He was welcoming and warm, unlike me. I was cold and distant, just wanted to sign the papers and get out. He said he liked my pink hair and I guess, he got on my good side after that. Maybe it was because he didn't question me whenever I came into his office, saying that I wanted to die? Maybe it was because he caught me and stopped me the night I was going to kill myself? Maybe it was because he kept all of my troubles private, never uttered a single word to the teachers, and listened to my disguised stories? How much I hated my 'step mother', how much I wanted to punch my friend's father in the face, how much I wanted to be free of 'school work', how much my father neglected me and talked obsessively about his job, how many times I wished I wasn't born into this messed up world. He was the grandfather I never had, the one I could never have but still, he made sure that he was available to me at all times.

I snap out of my thoughts and notice that his eyes are shut tight. A faint smile graces his lips. Tears streak down my face. I never noticed my tears; I just kept thinking about him. A nurse comes over to me and gently pries my fingers away from his hand. I hear a long 'beep'. He's gone. I stand up, almost knocking the stool over, and walk out the room. I touch my pocket, feeling the key's form through my jeans. I wipe my tears away hastily.

Deidara stares at me and I look away. Asuma extends a hand to me and I walk away from him, avoiding him completely. I need some personal time, time to rethink things and plan my next steps. I could go after Pein and try to kill him. I'd love to at the moment, but some rational voice in my head tells me not to. I drag myself through the hallways and remember that Shisui should be here also.

I should go check on him, just to see how things are going for him. I'm going to keep my visit to him secretive; if Pein finds out that I checked on an enemy and did nothing, he'd have me constrained in the headquarters for sure. If I'm going to kill Pein, I need to keep a low cover. I'll need to gather weapons and prepare a plan. Why not use the mafia's storage supplies?

I check in with the assistant and head over to Shisui's room. He may not know me, but that doesn't matter. I just need to check on him, need to make sure that my altering the plan wasn't a complete waste of my efforts. I need to regain my strength and use it to move on.

I knock on the door and hear a voice tell me to come in. I push the door open and spot Shisui sitting up in a bed. Sitting on a chair next to him is another man who looks familiar. It's not the fact that he kind of resembles Sasuke, no, it's the fact that I just realized that he's in my writing class. Uchiha Itachi was his name. I open my mouth to say something, but shut it when I spot Shisui's arm in a cast.

"What happened to your arm?" I ask, not bothering to introduce myself. I didn't write this on the note. I only directed the kid to shoot him in the upper arm. If the damn kid had shot Shisui in the upper arm, he wouldn't be donning a cast! If he was shot in the upper arm, all he'd need is surgery to get the bullet out- not a cast. I glance around the room warily. Someone followed me last night.

"I'm guessing you haven't seen the news? I got shot in the arm." He grins at me like it's nothing. I put a hand to my temple. This is going all wrong. I only wrote the upper arm...unless, someone really was following me and changed my directions. Either this kid, who shot Shisui, is stupid or this kid is working with the person who changed my directions.

"Where did you get shot specifically?" I ask, trying to tone down my voice. Itachi stares at me with narrowed eyes. I might be giving myself away at this moment, but I really need to know where Shisui was shot. If I know that, I'd have a better idea of what's going on. The mafia doesn't trust me. Is that why Pein is having someone watch over me? Is it really Pein though? It could be someone else.

"Oh, I got shot in the joint here," Shisui says. He points at the joint connecting his lower and upper arm. I grit my teeth. I definitely didn't issue a shot there. Someone altered my directions.

"The doctor said that it's called the humeral something," he murmurs, thinking to himself now.

"Humeral trochlea," I finish. They both stare at me with surprise. Shisui snaps his finger and says that I'm right. I lean against the door, staring at his wounded arm. That kid must have had accurate shooting skills. He hit that joint perfectly. It'll take some time for Shisui's arm to heal.

"How long is it going to take for your arm to heal?" I ask.

"Several months, why?" Shisui says. He narrows his eyes at me. I wish him a fast recovery and open the door to leave. They just stare at me with confusion. I half expect them to stop me from leaving and interrogate me. My phone rings and I stop in the middle of the threshold. I look at my phone and stare at the unknown number.

"Hello." I stare at the white wall of the hallway with my back to Shisui and Itachi.

"Good evening, Sakura."

"Who is this?" I ask, taking a step out of the door. I look around the hallway, no one. I turn back around to look at Shisui and Itachi. The curtain's closed.

"You're beginning to make me disappointed now, Sakura-san. I've heard so much about you, yet you can't even remember me." He chuckles and I straighten. Pein's dad. How the hell did he get my number? Okay, that was a stupid question. He was the previous boss, how could he not have access to my number?

"I know who you are. What do you want?" I demand.

"I like the way your attitude is now; I wish Pein was more like-" he says.

"Stop it with your babbling and get to your point."

"I've been watching you for two weeks now. You had me bored the first week, but you managed to prove me wrong this week. I know it was you who altered the plan."

I look at Itachi and lean against the door, pressing it wide open. I hide my face from the camera. Pein's dad probably hacked into the surveillance system by now. I shift my eyes in the camera's direction and back at Shisui and jerk my head at the door. Itachi does a subtle nod.

"And I know it was you who changed my alterations," I state. He laughs and I hear clapping sounds. He praises me for some seconds. I bite my lip.

"Pein is well aware that you changed his directions, Sakura-san."

"I'll tell him that you also did the same to mine."

"Such a naive girl. He won't believe you. You're a traitor. I've been watching you talk to Uchiha Shisui for the past twenty minutes. You're talking to your enemy and you haven't done a single thing to the man. You lack discipline." He makes a disapproving sound. "I'm going to finish what you couldn't, Sakura-san."

I see a red beam on the curtain and shout, "Duck!"

Itachi grabs Shisui and pulls him onto the ground with him. Bullets pierce the now-empty bed. Shards of glass scatter on the floor. Itachi drags Shisui out of the room and they follow me.

"You're not going to survive at this rate, Sakura-san." He chuckles.

"Shut the fuck up. You don't even know me, you asshole." I slide my phone into my pocket. Gun shots fire around the hospital with each turn we take. I tell them to not take the elevators because there's cameras. We take the indoor stairs and descend the flights. Thankfully, no one's come our way so far because I have no weapons on me.

My phone rings, I pull it back out and see Pein's number.

"You fucking asshole!" I shout.

"What?!" he exclaims and says, "Where are you? I'm outside of the hospital right now."

"Yeah?" I say. "What're you going to do when I come out? Capture me and kill me instantly!"

"You altered my plans!"

"I don't give a fuck about your plans, okay! I did what I had to do!" We turn a corner and continue filing down the stairs. Itachi and Shisui remain quiet.

He replies, "You didn't have to do that!" I hear a bullet shot in the background. A part of me hopes that he got shot and another part of me has no care in the world.

"Well, I did. By the way, your lovely father called me! He fucking hacked the hospital's surveillance systems! And, he's been having someone watch me for these past two fucking weeks!" I scream into the phone. We run down a hallway. I kick open an exit door and we run down the last flight of stairs.

"I know," he says solemnly.

"What?" I demand in a deadly tone. "What do you mean you know! You _let_ him trail after me!"

"I honestly believed that you wouldn't do what you did. I really did, Sakura. You betrayed me."

I scoff and laugh bitterly. "Well, it's good to know that someone's just like his father."

He hangs up. I curse and lead us across the first floor. It's empty. People have probably gone into hiding, emergency rooms or wherever they go in times of crisis. We zigzag our way to the automatic doors, taking precaution. It slides open and we exit. The moment I step outside the hospital, I cease walking. The parking lot is a warfare zone. The streets are empty just like the hospital is.

On the left half, there stands a group of people donning black cloaks with red clouds. There's a lot of people. This must be the Akatsuki. I recognize a few familiar faces- for example, Deidara. On the right half is YN, the mafia I belong to, but I don't anymore. I'm a traitor. I scan the faces, looking for Megumi. She's not there. She's probably hacking something right now. I sigh in relief that she's not here. At the front of these two groups are two people. One with orange hair and the other with red hair. They're in the middle of talking. I'm surprised that they're not even shooting each other yet.

The minute I see Pein, my vision goes red. He killed Sarutobi and that's all I can think about. I run to him; my backpack bounces as I charge. I just need to punch him in the face, one powerful swing is good for now. Then, I can escape.

"Pein, you asshole!" I shout. He turns to look at me, a look of surprise crosses his face. I leap into the air, pull my fist back, tuck my thumb into my fist and slam it into his cheek. He falls back, but catches himself. I lurch forward and grab the collar of his black T-shirt. I pull him to me and continue shouting.

"You bitch, you knew who he was! You knew and you still ordered for him to be killed?" I shout. He pushes me off him and aims a kick at my stomach. I roll off of him, dodging his kick.

"What do you mean?" he demands.

"Don't fucking play dumb with me!" I scream, pointing a finger at him. Blood trails down his lips and some drip from his nose. I glare at him and he tilts his head upwards, looking at the area where Sarutobi was hospitalized.

"Yeah, so what if I did?"

"Sorry to interrupt your internal feud, Pein, but I must resume our conversation." I turn to look at the red-head. He's got purple-ringed eyes. I snort and walk away. Of course, Pein has more important things to worry about. My issues are just microscopic. I'm just a pest, a little tiny bug waiting to be crushed.

"Where are you going?"

"Wherever I want to go." Pein snaps his fingers and some guy grabs me into a hold. I whirl around him, twisting his arm, and grab his gun. I smack the back of his head with the butt of the gun and he falls face forward onto the parking lot. I continue walking away, listening closely for any sudden movements from both sides. I could be killed any instant. I bring out my phone and slam it onto the ground. It bounces a foot away from me. I lift the stolen gun and pull the trigger, perfectly blowing the phone into pieces. I turn around to look at Pein. I unzip my backpack and dump all of my research and findings during my mission onto the cement. I pick up a lighter and burn the pile of documents. I hold my backpack, searching for my last weapon.

"Call me a traitor, Pein," I sneer. "You don't need a traitor's _homework_."

He lifts his gun, pointing it at me, and I throw a smoke bomb into the air. Soon, thick, dark, and heavy smoke clings into the air. People cough and guns shoot in the air and I run. I escape the cloud of smoke and chaos and cross the street in a dash. I won't be going home tonight.

"Sakura!" Pein shouts. I run, never looking back. That bastard killed him. I'll never see him as my friend ever again. He chases after me and fires at me. I don't feel anything at first, but then a sharp sting blows through my upper arm. I stumble forward and pick up my pace. Police cars come down the street and someone shouts Pein's name, telling him to go back. His footsteps fade away and I keep running with a hand pressed against my fresh wound.

* * *

I stay away from my house, the high school, anything YN-related, and the hospital. I wander across the university campus. My arm aches and I slump against a tree, feeling like shit. I've lost so much in just one day. The mafia is out to get me and I have stalkers! I'm even more conscious of those around me after my lovely chat with Pein's dad. I thought that old geezer would've died by now or at least flown to an island for retirement. But, no, he just has to come back and ruin things. Fucking bastard.

I look up at the large branches. Would if one of them fell on me right now? That would be a slow and painful death. What if I just bought a bottle of painkillers and over-dosed myself to death? That would be quick, I think. What if I just shot myself right now? Sarutobi's not here to stop me now. I pull the stolen gun from the pocket of my bloodied sweater and lift it up. I place it against my temple and shut my eyes. I pull the trigger and hear only the click sound. Fuck my life!

"Who goes to battle with one bullet! I swear this man must be fucking retarded!" I seethe. I throw the gun across from me. It lands on the path that winds through this park-like environment.

"There's no need to kill yourself." A man appears from behind the tree.

I smile bitterly and laugh like a madwoman. He walks around me, staring at me. I look up at him and see that he's also wearing the Akatsuki cloak. Kami must've heard my pleas for death and sent me an angel. I take a good look at this man. He's quite young, red hair and sleepy looking eyes. He picks up my gun and shoves it into his pocket.

"Just kill me already." I let go of my bloody arm and rub my face with my now-bloody palm. I can feel my wet blood dry on my face. I let out a depressed sigh and arch my brows at the man.

"Did you know we have film studies together? I just realized that," I say. He shakes his head, implying that he never knew that, and I nod. People don't really notice me.

"Shoot me now." He sighs. What was his name again?

"I've already lost a lot of blood. I'm going crazy. I'm wanted by the fucking mafia. I'm sure your pretty little group wouldn't mind skinning me. I've killed people before. I've threatened; I've lied. I've stolen. I've done horrible things," I say. "And now, I'd like to die, so go on ahead and shoot me while I'm vulnerable. I'm making your job easier, you know?"

"Just shut up," he says. He stares at me with pity.

"Wow, that's the most you've said so far." He arches a brow and I make a gun with my fingers before placing it to my temple. I make a 'Pow' sound and drop my hand. He remains unfazed.

"I'm taking you back to the Akatsuki hideout."

The moment he says that I get up onto my feet and scramble away from him. I shake my head and say, "There is no way in hell that I am going back to another organization's hideout. I'm going to go crazy, don't you understand?" He stops advancing towards me and says, "We're not going to hurt you."

"Right, that's what they said too! Don't lie to me! You people are scheming, little liars," I shout. I point a shaky finger at him. I'm losing it. I'm losing my composure now. I'm going to go crazy. No, I'm already crazy.

"Sakura, just calm down."

"Never."

"I promise, you'll be fine."

"Swear under your name!" I command.

"I, Sasori, promise that you will remain fully intact and alive. Okay? Let's get going." He walks over to me and grabs my wrist. He leads us to a waiting car and opens the door. I clutch my still-bleeding arm and slide in. I bump into someone on my left. I peer at Deidara who I can barely see now. My eyes begin to droop. I feel nothing, but the car move.

"She... losing..conscious, yeah!" he says.

"Give...pain killers."

"Kill me already," I mutter.

Then, everything fades to black. My pain is no longer here. My mind crumbles into darkness.

* * *

A/N: Review? I know, I know, Itachi didn't really do much in this chapter. Trust me, he'll be in the story big time with some other wonderful men too! About Sakura, I had to make her go a bit crazy in this chapter. Don't be surprised if she's a bit wacko in the next chapters. How did you find Sakura though?


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